Sager NP2090 / Compal IFL90 User Review

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by Martin

Introduction

The NP2090 is a new notebook from Sager featuring the Intel Santa Rosa platform and Nvidia’s 8600M GT graphics card. Based on Compal’s IFL90, successor to the HEL80, this 15.4’’ mainstream laptop is a remarkable machine aimed at the power users who want more performance and distinctiveness than the regular consumer class products offer at retail stores.

From the various configurations available, the notebook reviewed has the following specs:

• XP Home Edition w/ SP2
• 15.4’’ Glossy WXGA widescreen (1280x800)
• Intel Core 2 Duo T7300 (2.0GHz, 4MB L2, 800MHz)
• 512MB Nvidia GeForce 8600M GT
• 3GB RAM PC5300 at 667MHz (two slots available: 1GB “stock” + 2GB upgrade)
• 120GB Fujitsu 5400RPM Hard Drive
• DVD+/-RW Dual Layer 8x Combo Drive
• Intel PRO/Wireless 4965 a/g/n
• Built-in 2M Camera, Microphone
• FingerPrint Reader
• Standard 9-cell battery
• Sound Blaster Compatible 3D Audio
• Built-in Speakers
• 120W AC Adapter
• 4-in-1 Card Reader (MMC/MS/MS Pro/SD)
• Artic Silver 5 (applied, standard)
• Dimensions: 14’’ x 10.1’’ x 1.5’’
• Weighs 6.95 lb with standard 9-cell battery

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Reason for Choice

Since Intel’s and Nvidia’s update, I have browsed and researched many models. Among some possible candidates were the Dell 1520, Acer 5920, Asus F3SV A1, and Asus F3JP. But after weighing the positives and negatives of each, I could not pass on the Sager and decided to buy it from XoticPC (www.xoticpc.com) for $1,227. With the 3 year labor/1 year parts warranty, excellent reputation for build quality, and responsive customer service, the Sager has been a promising and fulfilling purchase.

Build &amp; Design

From the first look, Sager’s shiny cover with black and gray overtones stands out from most notebooks in a Best Buy or other electronic stores. Rather than a consumer product, the Sager looks and feels more like a business laptop. The lid offers good protection, and pushing on the back reveals no ripples on the LCD.

The hinge first appeared to be quite delicate due to the size and positioning, but after opening and closing the screen several times, it turned out the hinge was much stronger than my initial impression. When pushed, the screen showed little to no sign of wobble. It is interesting to note that the Sager does not have a latch to secure the screen when closed. However, the lid closes quite tightly. It is actually a struggle to open the laptop with one hand under normal circumstances, the hinge is that rigid and strong.

The touchpad is slightly off to the left and the finger print reader to the right. I personally like this separation.

The only “fault” with the overall design is the glossy material used on the lid and on the LED row. The material itself presents no faults, but I hate to see my dirty fingerprints all over the place. It might just be a personal “ick,” but it’s an annoyance nevertheless.

Lid, covered with dirty fingerprints (view large image)

Screen

There are two options for the Sager NP2090 screen – WXGA, 1280x800 and WSXGA+, 1680x1050, while the Compal IFL90 can be customized additionally with WXGA+, 1440x900. Since games run more smoothly at lower native resolutions and I do not require a high resolution, WXGA was my choice.

The screen at standard brightness is strong enough for everyday applications and if the need arises, the brightness settings can be changed. No apparent dead pixels can be seen or located. This is my first time working with a glossy screen and so far it has impressed me. Colors from pictures and videos are clearer and more vivid compared to my 17’’ matte LCD. The glare is not much of a problem, as I tend to focus on the image displayed on the screen and disregard whatever reflections there may be.

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As for light leakage, when the display and surrounding area are completely dark, a point of light can be seen emitting from the bottom. However, under normal circumstances, light leak is minimal and cannot be noticed.

Camera, Microphone, Speakers

The NP2090 comes standard with a built-in 2.0MP camera helmed above the screen with two microphones some 5 inches off to both sides. While the combination does provide a neat setup for video chat, reception of the microphone and quality of the camera are just average.

In comparison, the speakers perform much better. Having been used to the standard Altec Lansing speakers that came with my desktop PC, I expected the Sager to sound the same. To my surprise, sounds produced were distinct and come close to the quality provided by my excellent Koss KSC-75 headphones. I am not an audiophile, so I cannot accurately judge the sounds, but they perform above my expectations.

Processor and Performance

Well, what can I say? This thing is fast. Theoretically, the biggest performance jump in the new Santa Rosa platform occurs when switching from the T7100 to T7300 with the L2 cache doubling from 2MB to 4MB, so I chose the T7300 and am glad because this theory works great in reality.

CPU-Z (view large image)

Alt-Tabbing between programs, multitasking, or instant messaging while gaming cause little to no delay at all. The only slowdown occurred when running a game application while copying large amounts of data from a USB flash drive. But how often does that happen? Rarely.

Benchmarks

For some readers this may be the only section that presents some interest, so without further ado, here are the numbers. Note: I updated my graphics driver from stock to 101.42 with the driver from www.laptopvideo2go.com. This “updated” driver did not seem to affect  performance.

3DMark06

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3DMark06 comparison results:

Notebook	3DMark06 Score
Sager NP2090 (2.00GHz Intel Core 2 Duo T7300, NVidia GeForce Go 8600M GT)	3,440 3DMarks
Dell Inspiron 1420 (2.2GHz Intel Core 2 Duo T7500, NVIDIA GeForce Go 8400M GS 128MB)	1,329 3DMarks
Sony VAIO FZ (2.0GHz Intel Core 2 Duo T7300, Intel X3100)	532 3DMarks
Dell XPS M1330 (2.0GHz Intel Core 2 Duo T7300, NVIDIA GeForce Go 8400M GS 128MB)	1,408 3DMarks
Samsung Q70 (2.0GHz Core 2 Duo T7300 and nVidia 8400M G GPU)	1,069 3DMarks
Asus F3sv-A1 (Core 2 Duo T7300 2.0GHz, Nvidia 8600M GS 256MB)	2,344 3DMarks
Alienware Area 51 m5550 (2.33GHz Core 2 Duo, nVidia GeForce Go 7600 256MB	2,183 3DMarks
Fujitsu Siemens Amilo Xi 1526 (1.66 Core Duo, nVidia 7600Go 256 MB)	2,144 3DMarks
Samsung X60plus (2.0GHz Core 2 Duo T7200, ATI X1700 256MB)	1,831 3DMarks
Asus A6J (1.83GHz Core Duo, ATI X1600 128MB)	1,819 3DMarks
HP dv6000t (2.16 GHz Intel T7400, NVIDA GeForce Go 7400)	827 3DMarks
Sony Vaio SZ-110B in Speed Mode (Using Nvidia GeForce Go 7400)	794 3DMarks
Samsung R20 (1.73GHz T2250 and ATI 1250M chipset / GPU)	476 3DMarks

RivaTuner

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Normal computing temperature varied from 57 to 63 degrees Celsius, while gaming raised the temperature from mid 60s to low 70s. Maximum temperature observed was about 77 degrees.

HD Tune

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The hard drive is fragmented moderately, which might have an impact on the score.

Super Pi

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But as the saying goes, “Benchmarks aren’t everything!” Indeed, so here are some “real-world” application performances with Medieval II: Total War and Counter-Strike: Source.

Medieval II: Total War

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Tested with the single player Battle of Hastings, a three-thousand men battle.

On highest settings, minimum 2, maximum 19, average 7.420 fps. Playable, but lags significantly.

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Slightly lowered settings, minimum 5, maximum 26, average 17.043 fps. Game runs smoothly, lags a little when zoomed into the action on the lowest level possible. Overall, very playable.

Counter-Strike: Source Stress Test

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Maximum on all settings.

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“Suggested” settings with auto-detect.

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Some driver issues with the new Nvidia 8 series mobile cards. From reading forums, it seems certain that it is a driver issue. With both the stock and new video drivers, the “fogginess” of distant objects is still present. Problem was previously present on the 8 series desktop cards as well, but was fixed with an updated driver. So nothing to do but to wait for the new driver or revert back to DirectX 8, which is suppose to “fix” the problem.

Heat and Noise

With such powerful components under the hood, I expected a hot computer. However, I was once again wrong with my assumption. Perhaps it’s the Artic Silver 5 or the efficient fans, but even with heavy use (gaming, benchmarking, moving files) the temperature felt on the surface was warm at best. The maximum GPU temperature while gaming was 77-degrees, with normal temperatures averaging 60 degrees.

As to the overall noise, it is quieter than my desktop. With general use I cannot hear the unintentional sound generated from the machine. However, under stressful situations, the fan becomes more noticeable. But note, this only occurred under intense use, which does not happen often. Another qualm is with the DVD drive. When installing software from CD/DVD, sound from spinning is apparent and tends to heat up the computer more than usual. Then again, this is to be expected in notebooks.

Keyboard, Touchpad and Buttons

The keyboard looks and feels comfortable, without the annoying “lock-in” with buttons. One little quirk regards the placement of the Fn and Ctrl buttons. Unlike most laptops, the buttons for the Sager are switched, with Fn at the left end and Ctrl to the right. This may require some time for users to adapt to since most laptops and desktop keyboards are configured with the Ctrl to the left end. This is a little problem that, most likely, will disappear with time.

Though “flex” may be a subjective category, I personally did not experience any discomfort from the keys. When any key is pressed, only that key went down, the surrounding keys did not budge at all. So very little to no “flex.”

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As to the touchpad, there really isn’t much to say. It’s sensitive and responsive, with the buttons working as they should. There are no real outstanding aspects to the construction or its functionality, but there are no negatives either. Overall, it is a fine touchpad without problems.

LED buttons refer to the five heat-sensitive buttons located on the LED strip intended to quick launch some of the most used applications. Even with the plastic cover, the buttons respond very quickly. I personally take great likings to these little additions. However, I have yet to discover how to set my applications for both WOW Video and WOW Audio.

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Input and Output Ports

Lack of DVI and HDMI port is one place for improvement in the Sager. I personally neither require nor need the ports so I have no qualms. That said, the rest of the set-up is pretty standard for a laptop.

• 4 USB 2.0
• IEEE-1394 FireWire
• 4-in-1 Card Reader (MMC/MS/MS Pro/SD)
• S-Video Out
• VGA Out
• LAN, Modem
• Microphone, Headphone
• 54mm PCI Express Card

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Left: VGA, LAN, Modem, S-Video Out, USB ports, FireWire, PCI Express Card, Microphone, Headphone

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Front: Speaker, LED indicators, wireless switch, infrared receiver, speaker

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Right: DL DVD+/-RW, USB ports, AC port

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Back: Battery, Fan exit

Battery

The machine came standard with a 9-cell battery, which sticks out of the back by less than an inch. Though this may be displeasing to the aesthetic tastes of some, it is a worthy payoff performance wise. With regular use (wireless on, half screen brightness), the battery lasted for about 3.5 hours to 4 hours. 2 hours – more or less – can be expected when gaming or under stressful work.

OS and Software

When installing my own copy of XP Home, I encountered a problem with the SATA HDD. Somehow the installation CD for XP did not contain the drivers for SATA, so I had to disable the ACHI option in order for a successful install (or supplement the installation with the driver on an external floppy drive, which I don't have). Disabling ACHI may be a disadvantage, however Sager support informed me that the difference is minimal and on machines customized with XP Home, the option is usually turned off.

Customer Support

I ordered my computer from XoticPC, as they provided two extra years of labor warranty in addition to the standard one-year labor/parts. I was very satisfied with the way they conducted business. Due to some PayPal problems, the payment was transferred back and forth. During that process, members from XoticPC gave detailed instructions and paid personal attention to the problems. After several emails and phone calls, the laptop was ordered, shipped, and arrived at my door within three weeks.

Sager support was also responsive, though it took a little bit of time. During the OS installation process, I waited for about one hour until technicians (from Taiwan presumably) called back and answered my questions, very professionally. I assume they actually had the same model in front of them, as they provided specific instructions and explained the options in the BIOS. Overall, it was a good experience for customer service.

Conclusion

With impressive parts and attractive pricing, the NP2090 is a definite fit for those who want more than a typical consumer notebook. The Intel T7300 will handle most tasks without any problems, the Nvidia 8600M GT is more than enough to play modern games at decent settings, and the battery is capable of a lasting performance. Additionally, the Sager can be customized with Bluetooth, TV Tuner, or more warranty should the customer feel the need.

Despite its outstanding aspects, the machine does have its own quirks. Even so, priced near $1200, the Sager is still a sensible choice, sitting right in-between the consumer class and specialized brands of computers.

Pros:

• Solid build with a professional-looking design
• Powerful components available
• Long lasting battery life
• Competitively priced
• Professional and attentive customer support

Cons:

• Shiny places allow for easy fingerprints
• Heavier than normal 15.4’’, but still very portable
• Lack of DVI/HDMI
• Fn/Ctrl buttons switched

 

I applaud you for this review. Although I would agree with everything that you have said, there is flex on top of the keyboard, mainly near the function keys, power button ,and where all the touch keys are. However there is some to no flex on the keyboard where the letters are placed.

Very good review.
Go 2090/ifl90!!!

EDIT: Would anyone know whats the best bag for this laptop? I'm looking into the north face hot shot or big shot.

 

nice review. makes my wait alittle more bearable. =)

 

nice review...performance per dollar is pretty great.

 

Great review! Only eases my decision ever more . However I plan on getting a 2.4 Ghz and 2 Gigs of ram instead, do you think this will be worse or better than what your currently have, shouuld I get an extra gig of ram?

 

the wow video audio buttons are as far as i know not custimizable you get small utility program called WoW Video Audio it has several different settings for your screens gamma and color settings and for you sound settings aswell
NOTE i cant for some reason cet onto the sager support page so the files is from zeptos support page but its the same model computer

 

nice review, i was thinking of getting this in the begining but went for a a little cheaper option. U should try the 160.xx drivers coz right now the Cs:source picture shows model curruption from far away. I am using SATA as IDE as well coz i don't know how to install the AHCI thingy-----is there any performance diff guys?

 

Good review. This was a computer I was considering very seriously before I got my Asus.

 

Cool! . . . . I especially like the price part . . . .

It's sad I don't suppose I could find it anywhere in SE-Asia, though . . . . T-T

 

Very good review, it makes waiting for my IFL90 much easier

 

nice review for a very nice computer!

 

Solid review. Price looks very good.

Seems like the GPU's overclocked a bit from the stock 475MHz to 513MHz, which would explain the slightly higher 3DMark score than is normal for the DDR2 8600M GTs. I'd still like to see the 3DMark 06 scores separated so that only like resolutions are compared, because currently, the score comparisons are pretty meaningless when some are run at 1280x800 while others at the 1280x1024 default.

 

Awesome Review! Definatly Pumped for when myne arrives

 

No, that's just a false reading by Rivatuner. The same happens on my 1520.

 

Great review!! This will definitely help clear out any "worth the wait" doubts people might be having.

 

Thanks guys, the laptop is so sweet to use.

Chuck232, I didn't overclock or anything, I think it's just RivaTuner adding ~45Mhz for some reason to the clocks of GPUs it detect. So the "correct" clock should be 513-45 =~475.

Oh, and another thing, the RAM compartment was pretty tight for my cheap screwdrivers, so I actually had to run out to RadioShack and get a new and more "professional" set. It only costed some $5 or so. Nothing big.

Satdog, I will look into the new driver.

 

Very nice review Martin. You were very lucky to get your laptop in 3 weeks. I waited 2 months before I finally gave up. Hopefully Compal will finally get their act together and start shipping them regularly.
Tim

 

Ahhh! Mine's coming tommorow or the following day at the latest! Can't wait

 

Very nice looking laptop. I would have considered this, but I needed a laptop RIGHT away, and luckily for me dx10 for notebooks JUST came out. The ASUS' were pretty much my only choice. I'm satisfied, but this would have been a worthy contender or even a winner if I had had the time to wait for more dx10 notebooks to come out.

 

Seconded, I wish I had be able to wait for it... unfortunately I couldn't take the risk that they wouldn't be in by the time I needed them, and had to cancel. It's good to know what I missed out on though ;(

 

The price of this notebook is very attractive. Is the 512 mb on the gpu shared or dedicated?

 

its dedicated 512MB

 

I get the feeling (since the reviewer said he installed his own copy of XP) that the OS is not included in the price of the system, so tack on ~$100 for that as well.

 

Just read this review and I am so excited because my Sager 2090 is coming tomorrow.

 

This looks like the base machine for the Maingear xS laptop...

http://www.maingear.com/xsconfig.html

 

Is there a way to swap the FN CTRL keys in the BIOS? I really wanted to get one of these but that right there is the buy decider for me, im tired of laptops with the fn/ctrl keys switched. And an old compaq I had could switch them in the BIOS.

Otherwise, nice review aside from the poorly focused and poor quality pictures. Looks like you need a new camera! --><--

 

I don't think anyone has successfully swapped the FN/CTRL keys yet, unfortunately =(

 

I second this - thanks very much for the time and effort that went into this very good review.

I would also reiterate that when quoting 3dM06 (et al) benchmarks (for all they're worth), it is worth a specific note in this section of the review that they are not directly comparable to those scores in the table that were run at 1280x1024, given the lower resolution screen this notebook runs at. Potentially a little confusing/misleading otherwise.

All in all, great stuff, many thanks again.

Petrov.

 

Nice job! $1227 is a very good price to pay for a notebook with such specs.

 

Yep, price of XP was not included.

This is a new camera Casio EX-Z75, not the best but still pretty new. I guess I just have no skills at taking pictures.

 

Does anyone know of UK resellers other than Rizeon? I don't want to wait till mid sept for a new latop.

 

Zepto sells the IFL90 in the UK.
http://uk.zepto.com/Shop/Notebooks.aspx
The Znote 3415W is the IFL90 with a 1280x800 screen

 

Thanks for CSS stress test. My old Ferrari 4005 got 43.18, where your 2090 got 159. same settings as yours in second example, except I was at 1680x1050....gives me an idea of the processing power. thanks Maybe I'll try it at your res just for grins.